Is anyone here actually doing Atkins pre-maintenance? I'm going to be moving up soon, after I lose 10 more pounds. I don't plan on doing things very differently from what I'm doing now except allowing myself an extra 20 g carbs portion of a favorite food once or twice a week. I'm looking forward to my promotion.

Barb, I don't do "promotions" for the purpose of keeping my carbs as low as possible. While many can follow the Atkins protocol and slowly add more and varied carbs over time, I've found that for me, staying in what Atkins calls induction phase works. I follow a very low carb, higher fat, ketogenic way of eating where I keep carbs to a minimum, consume protein moderately, and never shy away from the natural fat that's in the protein I eat or in the olive, avocado, or coconut oils I use for salads and veggie preparations. It provides so many varied food combinations that it's become very easy for me to follow whether I'm home or traveling.

You know what, never mind what I said. I think I'm just going through a rough patch, being impatient, slipping in and out of denial. I'm just going to stick with what I'm doing because it's working.

I was thinking of my "promotion" as feeling freer to have things like fruit, peas and carrots or a glass of Merlot on occasion. I already do. It just remains to be seen how much and how often I'll be able to do it. I guess that's part of the journey.

Well said. It's part of the journey of self discovery and learning what works for you along the way. It's a path requiring adjustments as you learn. Therefore, it's not a quest for perfection; rather, it's a time where you'll recognize those things that don't work for you and those things that do to correct your course along the journey. You already recognize you're thinking too far ahead. Be patient, stay in the moment, and know by applying this approach, it will work for you.

I was thinking of my "promotion" as feeling freer to have things like fruit, peas and carrots or a glass of Merlot on occasion. I already do. It just remains to be seen how much and how often I'll be able to do it. I guess that's part of the journey.

For me the only thing that is sustainable is <20g net carbs. After going carefully up the carb ladder in 5g increments several times, I found I could not go over 35g without gaining and had to obsessively count carbs to stay under 35g, which was as frustrating as my calorie-counting days on other diets. An extra 15-20g of carbs (esp fruits) beyond Induction would trigger cravings, binges and contantly thinking about food, making it hard to maintain. YMMV, but sticking to Induction levels 90% of the time is actually easier for me. I do eat nuts most days and have an occasional glass of wine or a bit of carrot in my stew, but normally within my 20g net carbs.

It took me ~7 years of tweaking to figure this all out. This time frame would have been shortened if I listened to my own advice - keep writing down what you are eating and try one extra thing at a time. For instance, I can handle up to 10g of berry carbs or squash/pumpkin carbs, but 10g of dairy or grain carbs are scarily crave-inducing, the opposite of freedom. But I do feel free sticking to the extra foods that work for me. For me, freedom from hunger and cravings keeps me on track.

Freedom from hunger and cravings is my real focus, too. I'm happily shocked how eating mostly meat, fish, eggs and vegetables has cured me of cravings for mountains of pasta, rice, potatoes, ice cream and cereal (my former diet, may it rest in peace). I really don't count, track or measure religiously except in my head, and when I do I count total carbs (a habit almost as old as I am), but just by virtue of my food choices and the natural appetite suppression they provide, I take in about 30-35 on a typical day. When I eat out once or twice a week, I take in more, but even if I tried I wouldn't be able to do more than 50. I think that's my favorite thing about doing low carb. If you follow it faithfully, it's hard to overeat - and it's so satisfying. The feeling of being full, or not being hungry for hours, is priceless.